Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, late on Tuesday night said that he is ready to work with RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. Asad was addressing a public meeting in remembrance of party revivalist Abdul Wahed Owaisi at Murghi Chowk. Touching upon the issue of Nitish Kumar joining forces with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Asad said that Lalu Prasad Yadav should have known better. He added that MIM would work with him, but not out of fear of the BJP.

“Lalu Prasad Yadav, if you want to take on communal forces, you cannot do it alone. If you take them on with sincerity and want to give Seemanchal its due and bring about a change, we (Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) are ready to work with you. But remember, our working with you does not mean that we are afraid of the BJP,“ Asad said. The Hyderabad parliamentarian criticised Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, for `taking votes in the name of secularism' from Muslims and later abandoning them.

He said that the BJP had used its entire political might to snatch the Rajya Sabha seat from Ahmed Patel. The senior Congress leader managed to retain his seat. MIM supremo requested Hindus to save faith from Hindutva. “I am never against Hindusim,“ he clarified. Touching upon the issue of gorakshaks, Asad said that these vigilante groups would wake up ahead of Bakrid. He sought to know where the 'love for their mother' was for the rest of the year.

He alleged that Nitish is `sitting on the lap' of PM Narendra Modi. Asad added that Muslims must make their voice heard.“Muslims' agenda is education, security for youth and rightful political representation. Unless there is an independent political voice of Muslims, remember our issues will not be solved,“ he said. Asad added that the party is struggling to retain Ahmed Patel's seat in the Rajya Sabha. “It is becoming difficult to make him win because he is a Muslim,“ he said.